The invention relates in general to firearms and, in particular, to a new and useful recoil and counter recoil mechanism for a firearm.
Such a mechanism is disclosed in German AS No. 2,208,130. This prior art design is intended to reduce the recoil of a barrel, to increase the rate of fire of the firearm. This weapon is fired only with the barrel in a rest position. A friction brake is provided to be effective only during the recoil motion. The spring element counteracts the recoil spring. It can damp the counter recoil motion of the barrel, however, a substantial braking of the barrel in counter recoil motion is not possible since stiffening of the spring element would require a corresponding stiffening of the recoil spring. The mechanism according to this reference is neither suitable nor intended for an advanced ignition.
German OS No. 2,408,446 discloses a firearm comprising two spring elements which are coaxial with the barrel. The barrel forms a constructional unit with the breech block and the cartridge chamber. A sort of "floating" mounting of the barrel and breech system is obtained in this design. One of the damping springs of the mechanism becomes effective at the first discharge of a burst of fire. During the burst of fire, the recoil spring becomes more and more tensioned. After a few shots, an abutment is reached. An advanced ignition to the effect that each shot is fired during the counter recoil motion is not obtained.
German Pat. No. 2,417,333 discloses a design in which a receiver and a barrel are separately mounted for recoil motion relative to the mount. The purpose is to prevent the receiver from being exposed to bending moments caused by the recoil of the barrel.
There are known weapons mounted in a floating manner to obtain the effect that everyone of a series of shots is fired during the counter recoil motion of the barrel. In such weapons however, a hydraulic device is provided causing bending moments which are effective transversely to the firing direction, so that oscillations of the barrel must be expected, unfavorably affecting the accuracy of fire. Further, a connection between the weapon and the recoil mechanism is needed in addition to the mounting of the barrel.